Panasonic BL-C10

Panasonic's latest IP cameras bring network surveillance easily into the budgets of smaller businesses. They offer an impressive range of features for a modest price. The entry-level BL-C10 on review is a fine example. This compact colour video camera delivers an integrated web server, remote pan and tilt functions, and even an infrared thermal sensor - all for £169.

Build quality is on a par with Axis' static cameras. The lens is mounted in a small rotating ball, which provides the pan functions. A vertical slot in the ball allows the lens to tilt from ten degrees upwards of the central position and up to 40 degrees downwards.

Installation is handled adroitly: the bundled Easy Setup utility searches the network and displays all discovered network cameras. You can then move directly to the browser interface. Panasonic includes a free DDNS service at www.viewnetcam.com for sorting out direct Internet access to the camera. The browser interface is a tidy affair, with all controls located to the left of the main image. It's easier to use than those that are provided with Axis' cameras, as you don't need to leave the main screen to access and configure many settings. Using the graphical control pad next to the image moves the lens in either direction in steps of a few degrees at a time. Pressing the separate scan buttons causes the camera to complete a full vertical or horizontal sweep, or you can simply click the mouse pointer anywhere in the image and the camera will centralise on that location. Up to eight preset positions may also be configured and you can also modify the pan and tilt ranges. Lens movement is reasonably fast: a full horizontal sweep across 100 degrees took a shade over 11 seconds, while a vertical sweep took seven seconds.

When enabled, pressing the privacy button on the camera body or at the browser moves the lens inside its shell and switches off the video feed. You can also create a timetable with up to seven periods that determine when the camera is operational. Events may trigger the camera to take still pictures and buffer them internally, or send them via email or FTP. A timer can be used to take pictures at regular intervals or you may switch the thermal sensor on using a schedule. During testing, we found the sensor worked well, easily picking up our testers as they walked across the sensor's field of detection. However, the sensor won't pick up anything if positioned behind glass. Up to 12 cameras are supported and the interface can be set to show up to all feeds simultaneously.

One of the main drawbacks with the BL-C10 is picture quality. Poor focus leaves a fuzziness to the image, which the Favor Clarity setting doesn't improve upon. The maximum frame rate of 15fps does reduce network traffic but results in fairly jerky movement. The iris doesn't react well to high light levels either, although you can change the environment settings from the browser interface. Overall, Axis wins out on video quality, but Panasonic's BL-C10 still impresses with the number of surveillance features on offer at such a low price.

Author: Dave Mitchell